Locking and ventilating means for hatch covers



Oct. 17, 1944.

K. E. ZEIDLER LOCKING AND VENTILATING MEANS FOR HATCH COVERS Filed April 15 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Wawy? ,m m w f @Ezra/ff o o-a o'O Oct. 17, 1944. K. E. ZEIDLER LOCKING AND VENTILATING MEANS FOR HATCH COVERS v Filed April 15, 1942 3 SheetS-Sheel'l 2 PIII..

- Oct. 17, 1.944. K.E. zElDLER Filed Aprll5 1942 Patented Oct. 17, 1944 LOCKING'ANDV'ENTILATING MEANS FR HATCH COVERS Kurt E. Zeidler, Chicago, Ill., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Standard Railway Equipment Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Delaware Application April 15, 1942, Serial No. 438,989

10 Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerator cars and more particularly to overhead bunker cars wherein a plurality of refrigerant containers are supported immediately below the roof of the car. Such containers commonly cover substantially the entire plan of the car and consequently each containerhas a large area and is relatively shallow. Hatches of the size usually provided in refrigerator cars have a small area relative to such a container and it is, therefore, difficult to load refrigerant into all parts of the containers. My invention is adapted for use with the double hatch arrangement disclosed, which arrangement may be considered either as two adjacent hatches, or, viewed from another angle, as one large hatch divided into two parts by a strut. Separate covers are provided for each of the hatches and are preferably hinged to vupstanding roof carlines remote from the strut which separates the hatches.

An object of the inventionis to provide unitary means for simultaneously moving both covers to their tightly closed positions by a single move ment of said unitary means.

Hatch covers are often diilicult to open due to the fact that the gasket or padding becomes wedged into the hatch frame; to the fact that the covers and frames are sometimes coated with ice and to numerous other causes. An object of my invention is to utilize the above mentioned unitary means to simultaneously break the seals and partially open both of the hatch covers. A

A further object is to utilize the above mentioned unitary means for supporting either hatch cover in a partly open position, commonly used for ventilation, and at the same time to lock the other cover in a closed position.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following detailed description by referring to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a partial plan view of the roof of a refrigerator car showing a double hatch arrangement equipped with locking and Ventilating means which illustrates the preferred embodiment of my invention. The covers are in closed and locked position.

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2`-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged View of a portion of Fig. 1.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are sections on lines 4-4, 5--5 and 6-6, respectively, of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the locking 'and Ventilating means in its released position in which the hatch covers may be freely opened.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. leshowing the.

locking and Ventilating means in Ventilating position for supporting the cover in a partlyk open position and locking the otherv cover in closed position.

Fig. 9 is a section on line 3 9 of Fig. 8.

The drawings disclose the roof 2 of a refrigerator car having a hatch frame 3 with a strut 5 extending thereacross to form a pair of adjacent hatches 4. A refrigerant container 6 is dis posed immediately below the hatches 4 and has a length somewhat longer than` the combined length of the hatches. The covers 8-9 for the hatches are preferably mounted by means of hinges Il disposed oppositely from the strut 5 and attached to the upstanding roof carlines I2. The covers 8-9 are preferably insulated `and provided with resilient padding I4 which is compressed against the hatch frame 3 and strut 5 when the covers are closed to form an air tight and heat insulating seal.

A base member 20 is mounted upon the strut 5 between the adjacent hatches 4 and provided with a bearing 2l spaced above the strut 5 and adapted to receive a substantially horizontal pin 23 extending in a direction transverse to the strut 5. A movable member 24 comprising spaced apart arms 26 which form a fork and which straddle the bearing 2| is pivotally mounted upon the base member 26 by the pin 23 extending through the bearing 2|. Cam members 21 are rigidly carried by the covers 8--9 and include cams 29 which extend beyond the edges of the covers. A Ventilating bar 30 is pivotally mounted (32) upon the movable member 24 to swing about an axis extending transversely to the axis of the pin 23.

The member 24 is provided with preferably aligned closing knobs 35 projecting therefrom on opposite sides thereof. Such knobs could be replaced by revolubly mounted rollers without departing from my invention. When the movable member 24 is moved to the position shown in Fig. 4, the closing knobs 35 engage the inclined upper surfaces 36 of the cams 29 and move to the left while engaging such upper surfaces, thereby forcing both covers 8-9 tightly against their respective hatch frames 3. The bar 30 is seated upon the upstanding bracket 38 and locked and sealed by the conventional U-shaped lock pins 39. Both covers 8 9 are thus tightly closed and locked by a simultaneous operation.

In order to open the covers, theV member 24 and Ventilating bar 39 are rotated 180 about the pin 23 to the position shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings. It is apparent from Fig. 7 that the knobs carried by the member 24 are clear of the path of vertical movement of the cams 29 and that both hatch covers 8-9 consequently may be opened. The movable member 24 is also provided with opening knobs 42 which, during movement from the position shown in Fig. 4 to the position shown in Fig. 7, engage the lower surfaces 43 of the cams 29 and simultaneously lift both covers 8 9 a limited amount suflicient to break their seals with the hatch frames 3. Fig. 8 shows the position of the member 24 half way through movement from the locked to the released position and after the opening knobs 42 have passed the lowermost edges 45 of the cams 29. The covers reach their highest positions as the opening knobs 42 pass the lower edges 45 of the cams 29. As the member 24 reaches the position shown in Fig. 8, the covers 8-9 are moving downwardly after having been raised sufficiently to break their seals. After the member 24 reaches the position shown in Fig. '7, the bar 30 rests upon the bracket 4B and the covers 8-9 may be opened by hand to load refrigerant into the container 6. Y

Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate one cover 9 in its ventilating position. When the member 24 and Ventilating bar 39 are in the position shown in Fig. 7, either may be raised a short distance and the member 24 then rotated to the position shown in Fig. 8. The lower edge 45 of the cam 29 f the raised cover 9 is then seated in the desired V-shape step 59 of the Ventilating bar 39 and x.

the cover is locked in this position by insertion of the U-shaped locking pin I through the proper hole 53 in the bar 3U and through the upstanding webs 54 rigidly carried by the cover.

Fig. 9 shows, in full lines, one cover 9 in the Ventilating position and, in phantom lines, the position of the Ventilating bar 30 for supporting the other cover 8 in Ventilating position. The movable member1 24 is also provided with locking knobs 56 projecting from opposite sides thereof and arranged to overlie the cams 29, as shown in Fig. 8. Thus when one cover (as the cover 9 shown in Figs. 8 and 9) is supported by the Ventilating bar 3Q in a partly opened position, the other cover (as the cover 8 shown in Figs. 8 and 9) is held in a substantially closed position by the locking knob 56 which engages the upper surface 3B of the cam 5l upon an attempted opening of the closed door.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modicationsV thereof, within the scope of the claims, will occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim: I

l. In a refrigerator car, a pair of hatches in the roof thereof, a strut between said hatches, covers for said hatches separately hinged to swing against said strut, a member pivotally mounted on an extending transversely of said strut, cams carried by said covers, knobs carried by said member engageable with said cams to close said covers upon pivotal movement of said member in one direction, and other knobs carried by said member engageable with said cams to open said covers upon pivotal movement of said member in the opposite direction, l V

2. In a refrigerator car, a pair of hatches in the roof thereof, a strut between said hatches, covers for said hatches separately hinged to swing against said strut, a member pivotally mounted on an axis extending transversely of said strut,- cams carried by said covers, knobs carried by said member engageable with the upper surfaces of said cams to close said covers upon pivotal movement of said member in one direction, and other knobs carried by said member engageable with the lower surfaces of said cams to open said covers upon pivotal movement of said member in the opposite direction.

3. In a railway car, a pair of hatches in the Aroof thereof, a strut between said hatches, covers for said hatches separately hinged to swing against said strut; and unitary locking and ventilating means mounted upon said strut, said means comprising a member pivotally mounted adjacent said covers, cams carried by said covers, knobs carried by said member engageable with said cams to tightly close said covers upon pivotal movement of said member in one direction, other knobs carried by said member engageable with said cams to forcibly open said covers upon pivotal movement of said member in the op-V posite direction, a Ventilating bar mounted upon said member so as to be movable toward either cover, and means associated with said bar to support either of said covers in partly open position.

4. In a refrigerator car, a pair of hatches in the roof thereof, a strut between said hatches, covers for said hatches separately hinged to swing against said strut, a member pivotally mounted on an axis extending transversely of said strut, cams carried by said covers, knobs carried by said member engageable with said cams to close said covers upon pivotal movement of said member in one direction, other knobs carried by said member engageable with said cams to open said covers upon pivotal movement of said member in the opposite direction, a Ventilating bar pivotally mounted upon said member on an axis parallel with said strut. and means associated with said bar to support either of said covers in preselected partly open position.

5. In a refrigerator car, a pair of hatches in the roof thereof, a strut between said hatches, covers for said hatches separately hinged to swing against said strut, a member pivotally mounted on an axis extending transversely of said strut, cams carried by said covers, knobs carried by said member engageable with said cams to close said covers upon pivotal movement of said member in one direction, other knobs carried by said member engageable with said cams to open said covers upon pivotal movement of said member in the opposite direction, a Ventilating bar pivotally mounted upon said member on an axis parallel with said strut, means associated with said bar to support either of said covers in partly open position, and a knob engageable with the cam carried by the other of said covers to hold the last mentioned cover in closed position.

6. In a refrigerator car, a pair of hatches in the roof thereof, a strut between said hatches, covers for said hatches separately hinged to said roof to swing in opposite directions, the sides of said covers remote from the hinged sides thereof being adjacent the strut; and provided with projections, a movable member pivotally mounted upon the strut and provided with oppositely projecting knobs, said knobs being engageable and disengageable from said projections upon swinging movement of said member to lock and unlock said covers, a Ventilating bar pivotally mounted on said member to swing upon a substantially horizontal axis at right angles to the mounting of the movable member, and means associated with said Ventilating bar to support either of said covers in partially open position for ventilation, said Ventilating bar serving as a handle to swing said member.

7. A structure as dened in claim 1 wherein said means includes a Ventilating bar pivotally mounted on said member to swing upon an axis parallel with said strut, and means associated with said Ventilating bar to support either of said covers in partially open position for Ventilation.

8. A structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said means includes a Ventilating bar pivotally mounted on said member to swing upon an axis parallel with said strut, and means associated with said Ventilating bar to support either of said covers in partially open position for Ventilation, one of said knobs and cams cooperating at the same time to hold the other of said covers closed.

9. In a refrigerator car, a pair of hatches in the roof thereof, a strut between said hatches, covers for said hatches separately hinged to said roof to swing in opposite directions, the sides of said covers remote from the hinged sides thereof being adjacent the strut and provided. with projections, a movable member pivotally mounted upon the strut and provided with oppositely projecting knobs, said knobs being engageable and disengageable from said projections upon swinging movement of said member to lock and unlock said covers, a Ventilating bar pivotally mounted on said member to swing upon a substantially horizontal axis at right angles to the mounting of the movable member, and means associated with said Ventilating bar to support either of said covers in partially open position for ventilation while certain of said knobs engage the projection on the other of said covers to hold said latter cover closed, said Ventilating bar serving as a handle to swing said member.

10. Locking and Ventilating means for the covers of a railway car double hatch frame having a strut between said hatches, said means comprising an upstanding base member adapted to be mounted upon said strut between said covers a movable member pivotally mounted on said base member on a substantially horizontal axis and provided with knobs projecting from opposite sides of said member, said knobs spaced apart a distance greater than the distance between the hereinafter mentioned cam surfaces, cams having angularly disposed diverging upper and lower cam surfaces, said movable member and said cams being associated and arranged so that when mounted upon said strut and said covers respectively said surfaces are in the path of movement of said knobs and certain of said knobs are engageable with the upper surfaces of said cams to tightly close said covers upon pivotal movement of said movable member in one direction: and certain other of said knobs are engageable with the lower surfaces of said cams to forcibly open said covers upon pivotal movement of said movable member in the opposite direction. a ventilating bar pivotally mounted on said member to swing upon an axis at right angles to said axis on which the movable member is mounted, and means carried by said Ventilating bar adapted to support either of said covers in partially open position for ventilation, said Ventilating bar serving as a handle to swing said member.

KURT E. ZEIDLER. 

